Mt 8:5-17
More faith: The centurion is a Roman soldier who commands a hundred men. He represents the Roman occupation forces in the Jewish homeland. He is a pagan and a Gentile. Therefore, he is the most unlikely candidate to be the object of a healing.
More faith: The centurion is a Roman soldier who commands a hundred men. He represents the Roman occupation forces in the Jewish homeland. He is a pagan and a Gentile. Therefore, he is the most unlikely candidate to be the object of a healing.
The centurion requests healing for his servant. His request is one of faith: “Only say the word and my servant will be healed” (v 8), he tells Jesus. He knows that if Jesus’ word is obeyed, his servant will recover.
The object of healing is the servant, another Gentile. In a way, this is Matthew’s way of doubly making his point. Jesus is the savior of all people—Jews and Gentiles alike. There is a certain irony in the statement that the Gentiles profess “more” faith than anyone in Israel!
Matthew is warning his community against exclusivism and against presumption.